Luke 22:25-26 And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?
Jesus spoke more than once and more than one way about this business of anxiety and worry. Fear and anxiety seem to be incompatible with trust. Is God trustworthy or not? I'm not talking about Jesus being the instant solution to every problem, but rather the only solution to the final problem. He is a friend and an partner all along the way but again not by making all issues dissolve before our eyes. I have grown so much by trusting God in the difficulties of life. They did not all turn out the way I might have wanted, but I knew Jesus was with me at every turn, and that he always seeks my good.
My mother's side of my family has a pretty good record of longevity. My mom is 90 and her sister 93 and their mother close to the same. I have good health and I don't know if I will live as long as they have but even if I do it is an instant in eternity. I enjoy this life of mine so I would never say I want to die now. I also know God has a purpose for my life and he will for as many days as I live. My eternity is in his hands and I need not be anxious about anything else.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The Prayer Jesus Taught
Luke 11:1-4 He was praying in a certain place, and when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. 3Give us each day our daily bread; and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive every one who is indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation.”
I'm convinced that it is not the precise words of the prayer that Jesus was teaching but rather those sorts of areas that should be in our hearts and minds when we come before God. I find I can take even just one of the phrases and find enough substance to pray for quite some time. Our father hallowed be your Name, for instance. It can take an extraordinary amount of time to do justice to honoring God's Name. God's name is his character and his attributes. Often we gloss over honoring who God is. We focus on what we need or what our friends need without building our trust in God by honoring who he is. We can lack the trust to obey what God knows is best for us.
I don't think Jesus picked these few phrases by happenstance. I don't think Jesus did very much just by happenstance. I think we were meant to be disciplined in our lives about each of those phrases. What could be more important than to at least which some regularity take time for deep reflection on this sacred prayer. So often it is just a rote activity without thought or depth.
I'm convinced that it is not the precise words of the prayer that Jesus was teaching but rather those sorts of areas that should be in our hearts and minds when we come before God. I find I can take even just one of the phrases and find enough substance to pray for quite some time. Our father hallowed be your Name, for instance. It can take an extraordinary amount of time to do justice to honoring God's Name. God's name is his character and his attributes. Often we gloss over honoring who God is. We focus on what we need or what our friends need without building our trust in God by honoring who he is. We can lack the trust to obey what God knows is best for us.
I don't think Jesus picked these few phrases by happenstance. I don't think Jesus did very much just by happenstance. I think we were meant to be disciplined in our lives about each of those phrases. What could be more important than to at least which some regularity take time for deep reflection on this sacred prayer. So often it is just a rote activity without thought or depth.
Quality Time
Luke 9:18-20 Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They answered, “John the Baptist; but others, Elijah; and still others, that one of the ancient prophets has arisen.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Messiah of God.”
Here I am. I've been praying alone for some time now. I'm a morning person and this praying alone part has never been a problem for me. When I was the priest in Whitman MA I used to play golf in Brockton every weekday morning on my cheep clergy membership. I would tee off at 3:30 AM in late June when the days are long. I pray on the golf course mort of the time when I play real early and alone. I'm keenly aware of God in the quiet mist and beauty of an early morning golf course. It was no wonder no one would play with me, well once ,y nephew Will joined me and once my friend Bob. Bob then said if I wanted to play with him it would need to be at least an hour later. That hour worked for me because I could be home showered and at work by 8 AM after playing eighteen holes. I'm such an internal person that I can play golf with my body and that is secondary to the internal presence of my conversation with God. In the gospel Jesus although with his disciples spends quiet time in prayer by himself. I'm pretty sure the disciples would have then copied their mentor. The group would have been in a time of quiet individual prayer when Jesus asked that question, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter speaks first for the group as usual and says, "The Messiah of God." I think the clarity of his answer comes from the prayer time they were having. That quiet reflective time before God sheds light on so much. For me the clarity i find during the day is proportional to the quality of my prayer time with God. Although I usually start the day with prayer, I must admit that in different situations my prayer time can become displaced in the day. It doesn't matter where or when it happens my clarity is proportional to the quality of my prayer time with God. I hear people concerned about quality time with their spouse or with their family and I do think those things are important, but I hope you already see that to have the best quality time with them, you need quality time with God.
Here I am. I've been praying alone for some time now. I'm a morning person and this praying alone part has never been a problem for me. When I was the priest in Whitman MA I used to play golf in Brockton every weekday morning on my cheep clergy membership. I would tee off at 3:30 AM in late June when the days are long. I pray on the golf course mort of the time when I play real early and alone. I'm keenly aware of God in the quiet mist and beauty of an early morning golf course. It was no wonder no one would play with me, well once ,y nephew Will joined me and once my friend Bob. Bob then said if I wanted to play with him it would need to be at least an hour later. That hour worked for me because I could be home showered and at work by 8 AM after playing eighteen holes. I'm such an internal person that I can play golf with my body and that is secondary to the internal presence of my conversation with God. In the gospel Jesus although with his disciples spends quiet time in prayer by himself. I'm pretty sure the disciples would have then copied their mentor. The group would have been in a time of quiet individual prayer when Jesus asked that question, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter speaks first for the group as usual and says, "The Messiah of God." I think the clarity of his answer comes from the prayer time they were having. That quiet reflective time before God sheds light on so much. For me the clarity i find during the day is proportional to the quality of my prayer time with God. Although I usually start the day with prayer, I must admit that in different situations my prayer time can become displaced in the day. It doesn't matter where or when it happens my clarity is proportional to the quality of my prayer time with God. I hear people concerned about quality time with their spouse or with their family and I do think those things are important, but I hope you already see that to have the best quality time with them, you need quality time with God.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Not A Tree
Matthew 13:31-32 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
If faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain what can a full grown faith accomplish. I never could imagine wanting to tell a mountain to go from here to there. What in the world would I want that for unless the mountain was a mountain of fried clams or something. But I can see lots of things that a mature faith could accomplish. In Ephesiams as elsewhere Paul talks about our growing into the fullness of faith, and that we would no longer be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. When I came to a real faith I thought I had made it. I couldn't imagine anything better. I look from this point in my life and see it was just the mustard seed or maybe not even that. I look back and I see that what I saw as maturity still left me tossed to and fro at times by the push and pull of the forces in the world. Now looking at my place in the scheme of things or thinking about the future I don't claim maturity just progress. I've come to realize that my view of mature faith will evolve as I mature. All I can and should do is trust that, although I could still be just a twig in God's eyes, I will move toward being the mustard tree in the gospel. We don't wait to start accomplishing things for God until we are fully mature as we can't even assess when that might be. We use our faith at whatever level of maturity we have achieved to use that faith for the growth of the kingdom.
If faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain what can a full grown faith accomplish. I never could imagine wanting to tell a mountain to go from here to there. What in the world would I want that for unless the mountain was a mountain of fried clams or something. But I can see lots of things that a mature faith could accomplish. In Ephesiams as elsewhere Paul talks about our growing into the fullness of faith, and that we would no longer be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. When I came to a real faith I thought I had made it. I couldn't imagine anything better. I look from this point in my life and see it was just the mustard seed or maybe not even that. I look back and I see that what I saw as maturity still left me tossed to and fro at times by the push and pull of the forces in the world. Now looking at my place in the scheme of things or thinking about the future I don't claim maturity just progress. I've come to realize that my view of mature faith will evolve as I mature. All I can and should do is trust that, although I could still be just a twig in God's eyes, I will move toward being the mustard tree in the gospel. We don't wait to start accomplishing things for God until we are fully mature as we can't even assess when that might be. We use our faith at whatever level of maturity we have achieved to use that faith for the growth of the kingdom.
My Main Mentor
Luke 9:10 On their return the apostles told Jesus all they had done. He took them with him and withdrew privately to a city called Bethsaida.
I can imagine how the twelve felt as they were returning with the stories of all that God had done before their very eyes. He had used them do many powerful thing, things with at least some similarities to the things Jesus was doing. The gospels say that Jesus went from place to place proclaiming that the Kingdom of God was at hand and healed the sick and cast out demons. Those were the instructions given to the twelve when the were sent. The twelve must have been flying with excitement at what had happened. In one gospel account of this same occurrence it said they came back rejoicing and jesus told them not to rejoice because of all that had happened but because their names were written in the book of life. Jesus pulled them aside to listen and to mentor them. I'm sure he was working to focus them on some important realities. It would have been easy for them to get all puffed up and think that they were just the greatest thing (I'd say since sliced bread but they didn't have sliced bread yet). They probably had that look what I can do attitude which is such an easy trap to fall into when serving God. Jesus was saying calm down let's put this in it's proper perspective before it gets out of hand. God did these things not you and you can't take the credit. At the same time that he want to reduce their pride he wanted them to continue to be channels of God's power. That's the important balance. If we get puffed up and lose our humility God can't keep working through us because the glory would be misplaced so with something to check our pride we lose effectiveness and quit. What happens then is God's work ceases to be accomplished until we put ourselves back in our proper relationship to God.
I've seen what God can accomplish through very human vessels. At times it has even been through me, and I have to say that, especially early in my journey, I rejoiced in my power and for a time lost it. I try to daily answer three questions in my life, "Who is God?", the source of all power. "Who am I?", A channel of that power., and "Who are you?", God's desired destination for the power he let's me use today. Those are pieces of my answers to those basic but complex questions. Jesu continues to want me and all his disciples to go away with him to a solitary place where he can listen to us and mentor us. His desire is to affirm us and correct us, to listen to where we've been and to guide us to where we're going, and to make sure our names are forever written in the book of life.
I can imagine how the twelve felt as they were returning with the stories of all that God had done before their very eyes. He had used them do many powerful thing, things with at least some similarities to the things Jesus was doing. The gospels say that Jesus went from place to place proclaiming that the Kingdom of God was at hand and healed the sick and cast out demons. Those were the instructions given to the twelve when the were sent. The twelve must have been flying with excitement at what had happened. In one gospel account of this same occurrence it said they came back rejoicing and jesus told them not to rejoice because of all that had happened but because their names were written in the book of life. Jesus pulled them aside to listen and to mentor them. I'm sure he was working to focus them on some important realities. It would have been easy for them to get all puffed up and think that they were just the greatest thing (I'd say since sliced bread but they didn't have sliced bread yet). They probably had that look what I can do attitude which is such an easy trap to fall into when serving God. Jesus was saying calm down let's put this in it's proper perspective before it gets out of hand. God did these things not you and you can't take the credit. At the same time that he want to reduce their pride he wanted them to continue to be channels of God's power. That's the important balance. If we get puffed up and lose our humility God can't keep working through us because the glory would be misplaced so with something to check our pride we lose effectiveness and quit. What happens then is God's work ceases to be accomplished until we put ourselves back in our proper relationship to God.
I've seen what God can accomplish through very human vessels. At times it has even been through me, and I have to say that, especially early in my journey, I rejoiced in my power and for a time lost it. I try to daily answer three questions in my life, "Who is God?", the source of all power. "Who am I?", A channel of that power., and "Who are you?", God's desired destination for the power he let's me use today. Those are pieces of my answers to those basic but complex questions. Jesu continues to want me and all his disciples to go away with him to a solitary place where he can listen to us and mentor us. His desire is to affirm us and correct us, to listen to where we've been and to guide us to where we're going, and to make sure our names are forever written in the book of life.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Outcast
Luke 8:43-44 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years; and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his clothes, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped.
One of the classic books is "The Scarlet Letter" which was about public humiliation for women with moral lapses. If a woman became pregnant when unmarried for example they would have to sew a scarlet letter on their clothing to tell the town of their sinfulness. The woman in the gospel passage would have been in a similar situation just because of a physical ailment. Declared unclean she would be an untouchable in her society and forbidden to be among clean people. Having done all she could to be cured and return to a normal life with family and friends she had been an outcast for twelve years. When I taught school I would watch kids be treated mildly, in comparison, like outcasts and see the devastated effects it would have even for a day or two. I can't imagine living in a situation where I am outcast from society for even a short time let alone twelve years. She could be punished and persecuted even for coming into the midst of that crowd and bumping into people but she chanced it just to touch the fringe of Jesus garment as he passed. What desperation she must have felt. Just a touch, just a touch, Lord heal me, she must have thought. The reputation of Jesus must have so huge and well known that she was willing to risk anything just for a touch, just to possibly be restored to family, friends, and normal life.
I often say that my life has been touched by Jesus. I was thinking the other day why I don't say that I have flooded with Jesus or immersed in Jesus, or something compelling like that, and I think it is because I feel like I would be overwhelmed with more than a touch. Creeping in the crowd I want to sneak up and get a touch that will make my life normal only to find in the touch the extraordinary. Again ad again I have been touched by that power that went out from Jesus, not like an every request granted magic, but an I am working for your best grace. Sometimes I wish the touch worked every time, some things would be different if all wishes were granted, but I trust Jesus touch is always working for my long term good. I'll keep seeking his touch and trusting him for all the blessings I find today, but also because I know I don't want to be the outcast at the most important moment that's for sure.
One of the classic books is "The Scarlet Letter" which was about public humiliation for women with moral lapses. If a woman became pregnant when unmarried for example they would have to sew a scarlet letter on their clothing to tell the town of their sinfulness. The woman in the gospel passage would have been in a similar situation just because of a physical ailment. Declared unclean she would be an untouchable in her society and forbidden to be among clean people. Having done all she could to be cured and return to a normal life with family and friends she had been an outcast for twelve years. When I taught school I would watch kids be treated mildly, in comparison, like outcasts and see the devastated effects it would have even for a day or two. I can't imagine living in a situation where I am outcast from society for even a short time let alone twelve years. She could be punished and persecuted even for coming into the midst of that crowd and bumping into people but she chanced it just to touch the fringe of Jesus garment as he passed. What desperation she must have felt. Just a touch, just a touch, Lord heal me, she must have thought. The reputation of Jesus must have so huge and well known that she was willing to risk anything just for a touch, just to possibly be restored to family, friends, and normal life.
I often say that my life has been touched by Jesus. I was thinking the other day why I don't say that I have flooded with Jesus or immersed in Jesus, or something compelling like that, and I think it is because I feel like I would be overwhelmed with more than a touch. Creeping in the crowd I want to sneak up and get a touch that will make my life normal only to find in the touch the extraordinary. Again ad again I have been touched by that power that went out from Jesus, not like an every request granted magic, but an I am working for your best grace. Sometimes I wish the touch worked every time, some things would be different if all wishes were granted, but I trust Jesus touch is always working for my long term good. I'll keep seeking his touch and trusting him for all the blessings I find today, but also because I know I don't want to be the outcast at the most important moment that's for sure.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Confounded
Luke 8:35-37 Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear.
We so want to be able to explain everything. I think it is more difficult to observe what confounds us and accept that we will never be able to explain it all. My background is science and as a scientist I know we have figured out many things. In some cases each time we've made a discovery we have exposed even more complicated and confounding realities. Instead of finding answers we have found more questions. Those who want to think highly of their human intelligence puff up the little we know and the insignificant that we can explain in order to elevate their prideful view of the world. They sit at the pinnacle of creation and nothing exists that could understand more than they do. Others run into things they can't understand and wish they never experienced it at all. I have watched people witness an instantaneous spiritual healing and seen them shiver in fear standing in the presence of the mysterious unknown. Their response is then to avoid an situations like that because they can't face the unknowable. Some people face death that way and live in fear of life and fear of death. In the gospel those who witnessed the man rescued from demons asked Jesus to leave their town. What they observed made them fearful of the power that was in their presence.
It takes courage to seek more and more understanding of our world and I applaud scientists who strive to find more answers to more questions, progress has come through the hearts and minds of those with such courage. On the other hand I wish they all had the courage to admit that they will never understand the complexities of our world and be willing to stand in the presence of the mysterious unknowable who does.
We so want to be able to explain everything. I think it is more difficult to observe what confounds us and accept that we will never be able to explain it all. My background is science and as a scientist I know we have figured out many things. In some cases each time we've made a discovery we have exposed even more complicated and confounding realities. Instead of finding answers we have found more questions. Those who want to think highly of their human intelligence puff up the little we know and the insignificant that we can explain in order to elevate their prideful view of the world. They sit at the pinnacle of creation and nothing exists that could understand more than they do. Others run into things they can't understand and wish they never experienced it at all. I have watched people witness an instantaneous spiritual healing and seen them shiver in fear standing in the presence of the mysterious unknown. Their response is then to avoid an situations like that because they can't face the unknowable. Some people face death that way and live in fear of life and fear of death. In the gospel those who witnessed the man rescued from demons asked Jesus to leave their town. What they observed made them fearful of the power that was in their presence.
It takes courage to seek more and more understanding of our world and I applaud scientists who strive to find more answers to more questions, progress has come through the hearts and minds of those with such courage. On the other hand I wish they all had the courage to admit that they will never understand the complexities of our world and be willing to stand in the presence of the mysterious unknowable who does.
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